Herpesvirus-like DNA in AIDS Kaposi’s Sarcoma in Argentina [Letter to the Editor]

Authors

Carlos E. Sosa, University of Miami
Jorge A. Benetucci, FUNDAI, Argentina
Laura M. Sieczkowski, University of Miami
Anibal Vazquez, FUNDAI, Argentina
Xue-Lan Wen, University of Miami
Marianna Baum, University of Miami
Winslow Klaskala, University of Miami
William J. Harrington Jr., University of Miami
Charles Wood, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

1996

Citation

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology (1996) 11: 308.

Comments

Copyright 1996, Lippincott-Raven. Used by permission.

Abstract

First paragraph: Recently, Chang et al., using a new molecular biology technique termed Representational Difference Analysis, found herpesvirus-like DNA (KSHV) in AIDS patients with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). The presence of KSHV DNA sequences suggests that a new human herpesvirus may be associated with KS. The 5′ end of the 1853-bp flanking region of KSHV (nucleotides 1 to 607) was found to have 66 and 67% homologies to the corresponding regions of the major capsid protein gene of Herpesvirus Saimiri (ORF25) and Epstein Barr virus (BcLF1), respectively, both members of the gammaherpesvirus family. This finding is an important breakthrough, because a sexually transmitted agent was suspected to cause KS. The putative virus was also detected in classical KS and in African endemic KS found in young black individuals from sub-Saharan regions. KSHV sequences have also been identified in KS tissues from Taiwanese and French patients.